Catacomb Hunt
by Jess J
Summary: Raze chases a Death Dealer through the Paris catacombs, reveling in his wolfen form and pondering over the nature of himself and his fellow lycans. Rated for violent imagery. Please review.


Author's note: Finally, my muse gave me a Raze ficlet! I've been dying to write something for him, since he is my second favorite character, and finally she got the urge to write him. I'm quite proud of it, which is rare, but it was much fun to write. Anyway, hope you enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue. Savvy?

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CATACOMB HUNT

Blood tinged the air, and the smell of exposed flesh filled Raze's nostrils, eliciting a growl to form deep in his chest and rise up through his throat, finally escaping his mouth as he ran through the tunnels, chasing down the last remaining Death Dealer.

A group of six Dealers had ventured down to the catacombs beneath the elegant city of Paris, almost finding their way to the den of the pack, but the guards had caught the tantalizing scent of vampire in time for Raze to prepare a small party to stop and kill the Death Dealers.

The fight had been victorious, a wonderful carnage of vampire muscles and sinews, their blood painting the sewer walls scarlet in the faint moonlight that filtered down. Raze, along with Trix, Pierce, and Taylor, had feasted on flesh, glorifying in their bestial forms as the full moon gave Trix and Taylor, young ones still, the mercy of the Change.

But now there was one left, the leader, cunning and swift, Raze knew him from old battles. They had never met in any of them, only glimpsed each other in their element, but tonight, Raze would dine on the Dealer.

The though of more skin and flesh and marrow filling his belly spurred Raze on, the knowledge that it would belong to a high ranking Death Dealer made his legs run faster. His lips drew back as he almost grinned even in lupine form as he ran, gaining and gaining on the Blood.

When it came to Bloods, Raze and his companions were never sated in their lust for the juicy flesh of them. Even after all his decades, centuries of feasting and fighting the vampires, Raze still delighted in the activities.

He was not like Lucian, who hardly never even took on the Change, who preferred to kill the vampires in the same way they killed lycans. Raze could not even remember the last time Lucian had gone on a hunt himself, it had to have been over three centuries ago.

Raze could see it was not because Lucian had to keep a low profile. The lycan master could easily go on a hunt, walk above on the streets, feast on flesh and never be found out. But it had lost its joy for him. 

He had one focus only, and he would only allow the Change to come if it was necessary to further their cause.

For Raze though, this was the form he felt truly comfortable in, this, this was his true nature and he reveled in it. Certainly their other form was useful and necessary, but he felt almost caged then.

They were wolf and man in one, beast and human, and this was his truer self. Many others were more comfortable in their human skins, but Raze, along with Pierce and Taylor, were never truly whole until they wore the rough, fur-covered hide.

Pierce and Taylor were younger though, more brash and bloodthirsty than Raze, always itching for a fight, to higher their positions, but such as it was with the younger ones. Especially Pierce, who had recently begun to enjoy the control Lucian and Raze had gained long ago.

In time, they would master themselves hopefully. Raze could understand the nature. Sometimes he wished he could still be so reckless. But he had many more years behind him, and he had been under Lucian for so long, he knew the importance of control.

The war was won by skill and by strength and by smarts. Brawn measured with brains.

Raze understood this, in time, so would the others.

But tonight, tonight he was finally given a chance to let himself run free, shed the human guise and hunt like the wolf he was inside. He had feasted, but he would not be sated until he had ripped and shredded the last of the vampire group, gorging on the tissue and muscles hidden beneath pale skin.

The sound of panting reached his ears, and Raze knew he was close. Fear was hanging heavily in the air, an almost tangible scent, one that made Raze let out a roar and charge, almost running on all fours as he closed in on his prey.

The Death Dealer was afraid, for he knew he was immortal, not invincible. Immortals fear death themselves, they cannot hide that fact when faced with it at last. They fear it more than any other. To lose their immortal life as though it meant nothing, to end what they have grown accustomed to for centuries is a change to overwhelming to ponder.

Raze had known this fear before. That was the last time Lucian had changed. To save Raze and a young Pierce, trapped by a horde of dealers. Lucian had come to their rescue already fully changed, taking every precaution just in case one of the Bloods managed to escape. None had.

And now, Raze could give this fear to another Blood, to make him feel the disgusting, weakening sense, to give him the knowledge of the end approaching with every step the lycan took.

Close, he was very close. Raze turned one final corner and saw his prey, running, only a few yards ahead of him. Yards that almost immediately disappeared as Raze closed in, claws digging into soft arms and jaws opening to crush the skull.

Only one scream could be uttered by the Death Dealer before he faced his own death, his fate sealed as canines broke through bone and met brain. Relishing the taste, Raze feasted, growling contentedly every so often as he finally sated his hunger for the night.


End file.
